By Nana Yaw Prekoh
Copyright ghanaguardian
The National Democratic Congress government has announced the formation of a multi-agency taskforce to clamp down on the influx and usage of pirated DStv decoders smuggled from Nigeria, a practice authorities say is hurting the economy and creative industry.
At a press briefing in Accra on Monday, September 29, 2025, the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, disclosed that the initiative was one of the outcomes of a stakeholder committee he chaired.
The committee included representatives from the National Communication Authority (NCA), MultiChoice Africa, and MultiChoice Ghana.
According to George, the smuggling of Nigerian DStv decoders into Ghana has been a longstanding challenge, depriving the state of significant tax revenue while simultaneously shifting employment opportunities from Ghana to Nigeria.
He stressed that the practice has also undermined customer service delivery for unsuspecting Ghanaian subscribers and weakened the local content creation industry, which relies heavily on fair broadcasting revenues.
“The committee considered the issue of cross-border piracy of DStv decoders from Nigeria into Ghana, which has for years deprived the state of tax revenue, transferred jobs from Ghana to Nigeria, denied unsuspecting customers of good customer service, and is actively working towards the decline of the Ghanaian local content creation space,” the minister said.
The newly created taskforce will comprise officials from multiple state and private entities, including the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, the NCA, the Cyber Security Authority, the Ghana Domain Name Registry, the National IT Agency, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, and the Ghana Police Service.
MultiChoice Africa and its Ghanaian subsidiary are also part of the working group.
Sam George explained that the taskforce will operate in a coordinated manner, working directly with the leadership of all participating agencies to ensure strict enforcement of laws against piracy.
He emphasized that the initiative is not just about safeguarding government revenue, but also about protecting consumers and sustaining the creative economy.
The issue of pirated decoders has been on Ghana’s policy radar for years, with concerns that the cheap influx of devices from Nigeria undermines the subscription base of MultiChoice Ghana, reduces the bargaining power of Ghanaian creators, and robs the state of customs duties and taxes.
Industry players have repeatedly called for stronger enforcement, noting that piracy not only cheats the system but also limits the growth of homegrown television productions and cultural content.
The minister further hinted that this crackdown forms part of a broader digital regulatory agenda aimed at securing the broadcasting and telecommunications space.
This announcement comes at a time when George has also secured additional value for Ghanaian DStv subscribers.
